India women cricketer Pratika Rawal, a psychology student, created history and broke multiple records during the third ODI against Ireland women in Rajkot on Wednesday (Jan 15). Rawal, playing her sixth ODI, went on to score 154 runs - third highest individual score for India women in ODI's.
Who is Pratika Rawal?
Rawal, born on September 1, 2000 in Delhi, is daughter of Pradeep Rawal - a BCCI-certified Level-II umpire with Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA). She made her debut in the home ODI series against West Indies Women, which was played prior to the Ireland series.
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Pratika studied at Modern School, Barakhamba Road in New Delhi and had scored 92.5 percent marks in her class X examinations. She then pursued psychology from the city's prestigious Jesus and Mary College of Delhi University.
The same college has other athletes as alumnae like Ankita Bhambri (Indian tennis player), Shagun Choudhary (Olympic shooter) and Sangeeta Mehta (First woman from India to qualify for JUDO at Olympics).
Apart from that, Bollywood actresses Neha Dhupia, Rakul Preet Singh and Ankita Shorey (former Femina Miss India International) also come from the same college as Rawal.
As for her cricketing career, she started with Delhi in the domestic cricket and played for them from 2021- 2024 before switching to Railways where she currently plays.
On her debut, Rawal scored 40 runs in 110-run stand with Smriti Mandhana. Against Ireland in Rajkot, Rawal added 233 runs for the first wicket with Mandhana (135 off 80 ball) - the third highest opening partnership for India in the women's ODIs and the highest at home.
She has scored 444 runs in her first six innings so far - the highest in ODIs among women players - going past Charlotte Edwards's 434. The record for most runs in first six ODI innings across men and women cricketers is with Janneman Malan (483) - also the only player above Rawal.
India eventually went on to score 435/5 - their highest total in women's ODI and fifth highest overall - surpassing their previous total 370/5 which they had scored during the second ODI of the same series on January 12.
In reply, Ireland women were bowled out for a cheap 131 as India women registered a hefty win of 304 runs - their biggest win in women ODIs.